The present invention relates to an industrial vehicle.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-81495 discloses a forklift truck as an industrial vehicle. The forklift truck includes a frame, a counterweight, and a drive device. The frame is disposed at a lower part of the forklift truck and extends in the front and rear direction of the forklift truck. The counterweight is connected to the rear part of the frame. The counterweight is substantially of a rectangular shape and extends toward an upper part of the forklift truck. The drive device is connected to the counterweight and disposed at a lower part of the forklift truck. The drive device includes a rear axle and a steering shaft and drives the forklift truck.
The counterweight that is connected to the rear part of the forklift truck as a weight prevents the rear wheels of the traveling forklift truck from being lifted off from the ground because of weight of a load to be carried.
The drive device that plays an important role for traveling of an industrial vehicle needs periodical maintenance work. In a forklift truck in which the drive device is disposed at a lower part of the counterweight, the drive device needs to be removed from the counterweight for the maintenance work. Since the counterweight is heavy, the removal of the drive device from the counterweight and hence the maintenance work of the drive device is hard and difficult.
The present invention which has been made in light to the above problems is directed to providing an industrial vehicle that facilitates the maintenance work of the drive device of the industrial vehicle.